Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

The Goddess Kring Returns to fill us all in on all her Kringie Goodness! Including Cafe Racer on April 12th with Claxton Kent and live painting 4/20 at Cannabis Carnivalus at Melrose Market Studios!

I recently had the esteemed pleasure of speaking to Shannon Nicole Kringen, who for many, many people is better known as the Goddess Kring, we talked for a few hours about all sorts of things and what follows are the highlights of two friends talking! Enjoy!

Xavier Lopez: So its been a bit since we last chatted, can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve been up to? I have seen all sorts of events come up on my Facebook feed that you have been involved in can you catch us up with what has been occupying your time?

Shannon Nicole Kringen aka The Goddess Kring: I’m planning a trip to England in the summer, a trip to the Bahamas in the fall- Cafe Racer show on April 12th with Claxton Kent and live painting 4/20 at Cannabis Carnivalus at Melrose Market Studios. I also just took down 27 paintings that were hanging at two cafes and I’m seeking a new place to show them!

Xavier: Actually, let’s back up and do this right. Let’s back up and talk a little bit about the things that you have accomplished. And what you are perhaps best known for–pretend for a moment that none of us already knows about you and what you’ve done can you take as long as you need to introduce and in most case, reintroduce yourself to my readers. Who is Shannon Nicole Kringen?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: That is a great question! lets see…. Shannon Nicole Kringen is an improviser in life. I’ve been a figure model for artists in Seattle for 22 years (½ my life span) I’ve been painting onto shoes since 1986 when I was a teenager in High School. I’ve been traveling and taking photos since around 1996 when I took my first solo trip to Europe on a Eurail Pass. I produced a weekly public access tv show for 15 years called “Goddess KRING.” It aired over 730 episodes and I still have copies of all of the shows- they are 28 minutes each. I’ve been painting onto canvas’s since I was a teenager.

I’m inspired by my mom who is also an abstract artist and the Austrian painter and architect/philosopher Hundertwasser. I write poetry and record it musically as spoken word. I play the piano & harmonica & slide guitar improvisationally. I body paint myself and ride in the World Naked Bike Ride, Summer Solstice Parade and the Body Pride Ride. I also visit naturist gatherings where clothing is optional! I love to travel, take photos and write poetry about my experiences. I’d say I’m a natural intuitive artist. (aRtist) is how I like to spell the word art.

I studied graphic design after high school and recently went back to school and finished my BA in Arts and Spiritual Studies. I’m a big fan of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung–the former which coined the terms “follow your bliss” and the latter who came up with the idea of “synchronicity.”

Xavier: It sounds like you have definitely followed your bliss!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Mostly yes! A series of synchronistic events happened because of all the traveling I’ve done and the sharing I’ve done online and on TV. I have met many interesting people via several mediums…

Xavier: Please tell me more…

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Well most of my friends who I visit in Norway, Scotland, England, The Bahamas, San Diego, Florida…I have met via my website or tv show. I was interviewed by a Naturist magazine and someone in New York saw it and started flying me on trips. I spent 5 weeks once in Italy, France, Belgium and then on to a Naturist gathering in Lenox Mass. I’ve been invited to perform at Chop Suey and now Cafe Racer due to my notoriety from my tv show that fans of mine appreciate my talent, etc.

Xavier: So let’s talk a little bit about what you are perhaps best known for. How long did you do the public access program?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: My show was on television every week for 15 years. From 1996-2011 every week!

Xavier: Wow! How did it start?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: It started when I dated a guy who wanted to do a show on Hemp. He talked me into buying a video camera for his show and I did a monologue into the camera when I was all alone one night and I aired it on TV. I’ve always been a bit shy and yet always wanted to connect with an audience through the media…so when I found out I could record at home and then air on TV, I became hooked pretty quickly and signed up for a weekly show.

I’ve also done radio via connections I made thriough my TV show….I aired my own videos. the guy I was dating did his own solo show. We did our video projects separately. (Our relationship did not last long. It was a dramatically sad one.) but breaking up with him fueled by desire to keep doing videos….

My love life is not my forte! my art is! and traveling!

Xavier: That’s interesting, I’m the same way. Love has not been an easy thing in my life and I know other artists for home that is also true! But we still manage to keep our heads up and our noses to the grindstone!

I am working on digitizing them (any volunteers? E-mail is good, if you’re interested– kringgoddess@yahoo.com, or i have a P.O. Box: Shannon Kringen: P. O. Box 20355 Seattle, WA 98102.) Scarecrow video has 5 for rent I think. I need to get back in touch with them!

My you tube channel has a bunch of Kring videos on it. (non nude of course!) I would love to add kring vidoes to my website and offer them to people.

Xavier: Do you have someplace for people to contact you if they are interested in finding out when they become available?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Scarecrow video might have 5 (they used to for rent?) I am working on digitizing them and having them online for people to watch. I have a youtube channel with a bunch of kring videos (non naked ones!)

Xavier: Any thought of bringing the show back in some form? A lot of people use Youtube and other venues in a similar way to how Public Access used to be used?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Yes I just wish I could be nude on you tube. (Nice rhyme) Doing weekly youtube videos and vimeo videos might be the ticket to get the Goddess KRING back up and running! I have vimeo too http://vimeo.com/shannonkringen

Xavier: Cool, definitely let us know how that progresses! Moving along, what projects do you have in the planning stages?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Performing music at Cafe Racer soon, visiting my friend in England for a photo project, visiting another friend in the Bahamas for a body painting/modeling/photography project…writing a book part — which is part memoir, part inspirational, part artwork…recording more music in Portland with a very unique musician named Claxton Kent.

Xavier: Let’s start there. Tell me about this collaboration? What have you got planned?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Well Claxton and I have recorded 6 songs so far together. He does the music (guitar and drums in his own unique way) and I write the lyrics and do the vocals (his voice sometimes appears also).

For the Cafe Racer show there will be 3 sets. Claxton solo, Shannon Kringen solo, then “Goddess KRING” which is Claxton and me!

Xavier: When is the Cafe Racer performance?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Saturday April 12th 9-11pm!

Xavier: What can people look forward to seeing during your performances?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: It will be a mix of musical spoken word, and improvisational surprises! I’ll be wearing new heels I painted for this show as well. I will do two sets, one solo poetic and one more musical with Claxton on drum loop and bass guitar he plays like a regular guitar…very unique sound we create…and Claxton opens with a solo set of his own original music!

Xavier: Very nice! Is there a cover charge to see you guys?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: No Cover!

Xavier: Awesome! Very cool! How long does the event last?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: 2 hours. 9pm-11pm. We have our CD’s for Sale!

Xavier: Very cool! What else do you have on the horizon for fans of the Goddess?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Let me see…Goddess KRING will be live painting and selling paintings at this show in Seattle April 20th 1-8pm Cannabis Carnivalus at Melrose Market Studios!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Yeah! Yes. I signed up to paint when Ryan Henry Ward mentioned it on his facebook wall! Sounded cool so i sent them samples and they said yes to me being one of the live painters! I am very excited!

Xavier: She asked me to be in it, but I was too busy with other stuff, May is going crazy!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: So good to be such a busy artist! Seattle art is exploding all over the place!

Xavier: Seattle is truly turning into Art City!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: I am truly happy to be living here!

Xavier: Any other things that you would like to mention to everyone?

Shannon Nicole Kringen: I’ve been thinking of teaching some shoe painting workshops! Or maybe a felt hat making class or an intuitive/improvisational abstract art making course! They have improv acting classes but no improv art classes!

I love to spread around inspiration that encourages people to create their own magic

I took acting classes at Freehold Theatre…so maybe Goddess KRING could teach improv art making! since that is what I do!

Xavier: Definitely! That would be lots of fun!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Yes Indeedie Kringie! Ha Ha!

I might also go on a “Goddess Kring world tour” too and write and make a photo book about it…i forgot to say that! Friends have suggested that I do a crowd funding campaign to help finance it. I have a friend in St. Peterburg Russia who invited me to stay with her, a friend in Oslo Norway, Amsterdam Holland, Liverpool England, Nassau Bahamas, and friends scattered across the USA and Canada. I’d love to visit them, take interesting aRt photos, write poetry and narrative about my traveling, then come home paint about my trip and write a book and add photos and reproductions of my paintings inside the book.

I could also figure model on my travels for artists wanting to draw and paint me! I also would love to have someone curate a show of paintings and drawings done of me modeling over the last 20 plus years!

Xavier: That would be awesome!

Shannon Nicole Kringen: Maybe I will start this in 2015! oh I also forgot! They are making a feature length movie about public access called “Channeling Yourself” and I am part of that! I’m very excited about that! It seems like it’s going to be very well done with clips from my show and other people’s shows that were long running on Seattle public access! I am hopeful that it will show at Seattle Film Festival!

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.